During World War II, a large number of excellent enterprises emerged in the German aviation industry, and among the stars, Arado Airlines was just an inconspicuous one. Although this small aircraft manufacturer has launched multiple models, only early fighter jets and some seaplanes have performed well. Compared to the Bf109 and Fw190, the codename Ar is not very familiar to German Air Force pilots.

As the saying goes, thick accumulation leads to thin development. Before the end of World War II, Arado Airlines brought new hope to Adolf. The Ar234 bomber became a hidden ace in the hands of the German army, and it was the first jet bomber put into use by humans. In the era of human jet technology, the pioneers all came from Germany. The German army not only developed jet fighters, but also jet bombers. This black technology achievement is astonishing. At first, the Ar234 bomber was designed to have a range of over 2100 kilometers, with the goal of flying over the English Channel for bombing and reconnaissance. Other airlines showed little interest in this plan, but only Arado was very interested. But at that time, the development plan for jet bombers was not highly regarded by everyone. In the winter of 1940, the Junkers Group and BMW were developing jet engines, and the development of the Arado jet bomber was also on the agenda. However, the German army's target purchase quantity was only 50 aircraft, and Arado's designer Bloom was not interested in this plan, which led to slow progress in the development of the Ar234 bomber. The first prototype was not produced until the autumn of the following year. But due to the production of BMW's jet engines, Arado had to redesign the fighter jet to reserve space for the jet engines of Junkers and Daimler

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In April 1942, this prototype received the production number Ar234. Using the latest wind tunnel experimental technology, the development of fighter jets began to accelerate, and by 1944, multiple prototypes had been released. The initial design of the Ar234 bomber had no landing gear, only a take-off trolley. Later, the German army required it to use conventional landing gear, and research on reconnaissance and bombing versions was conducted simultaneously. In February 1945, the production line for the Ar234 bomber was finally established, and the Air Force placed orders for nearly 3000 fighter jets, including various models. However, a few months later, this production line was occupied by the Soviet army, and its related technology became their technical reserve. In the later stages of World War II, the Ar234 bomber was almost a fighter jet that could disregard Allied air superiority and soar freely in the sky. It can achieve a flight speed of 950 kilometers per hour, carry 1.5 tons of aerial bombs, and achieve a range of over 1500 kilometers. If it could have been produced earlier, maybe it could have really changed its fate.

Source: Military of Strong Countries